FG rolls out 90,000km fibre in October

The Federal Government announced plans to commence the implementation of a nationwide 90,000-kilometre fibre-optic network project in October. Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani confirmed that funding had been secured for the project, which is part of a broader strategy to expand Nigeria's broadband backbone and improve connectivity in underserved regions.

The project, known as Project BRIDGE or Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth, aims to extend the country's fibre backbone from around 35,000km to approximately 125,000km. Tijani highlighted that President Bola Tinubu had approved the deepening of connectivity, estimating that the completed project would rank either the third or second longest fibre optic network on the African continent, between South Africa and Egypt.

The funding for the project has been gathered through multiple development partners, including the World Bank ($500m), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ($100m), and the African Development Bank ($200m). The rollout of the fibre network is expected to create jobs and stimulate economic growth across various sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, and education.

In addition to the fibre deployment, Tijani announced plans to install nearly 3,700 telecom towers in areas currently lacking network coverage, addressing the issue of telecommunications access for over 20 million Nigerians. The National Information Technology Development Agency's Director-General, Kashifu Abdullahi, emphasized the need for standardised innovation hubs across the country, noting that current hubs are heavily concentrated in Lagos, Abuja, and a few other states.

The European Union's support for Nigeria's digital ecosystem, amounting to over €820m between 2021 and 2027, underscores the importance of common standards in sustaining the rapid expansion of the country's innovation ecosystem.